

Book. B. 

Gopight 1^? fc4 — 


COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 


i 


HER ROMANCE 

AND 

The Value of a Trained Mind 


BY 

MABEL R. EMLEY 



SAULSBURY PUBLISHING COMPANY 

BALTIMORE, MD. 


Copyright, 1919, 
By Mabel R. Emlet 



SEP -2 lyjy 

J. F* TAPLEY CO. 
NEW YORK 


©C1.A529740 


HER ROMANCE 


She was only a High School girl a few months 
before. In February she was eighteen and gradu- 
ated the latter part of the following May. 

The next month, June, she went to the county 
seat of K — , and attended Normal for four weeks and 
it was during this time that her romance began. Her 
name was Merla Warren. 

Merla boarded with a family by the name of Craig, 
who had been old neighbors of the Warren’s before 
they, Craigs, moved to K — . 

In this family of Craig, there were four girls and 
two boys. The oldest boy, John, a few months older 
than Merla, had been trying to be more than 
friendly to her for years, but it was of no use. He 
was not her ideal and all his attentions were in vain. 

The two older girls, Ethel and Edith, were both 
older than John. Edith was just two years older 
than Merla, and, because they had always attended 
school together, both the grades and High School, 
they were old chums, and, since Merla was not well 
acquainted with any one else in K — , she boarded 
with the Craigs. 

Merla’s brother Fred attended Normal at the same 
3 


4 


HER ROMANCE 


time, but it happened that a neighbor of the Craigs, 
had a big family of boys and she wanted a boy to 
board with her. So when Fred wanted a place to 
stay, he was sent there. 

Most of our future interest will center around this 
neighbor’s family. Their name was Jennings. 

Fred Warren went to board with them and he 
could not have found a nicer place to stay. They 
were ideal Christians and were bringing up all their 
sons in the same good, clean way of living, so while 
here, Fred received the best of help to make him a 
stronger and better Christian. 

At the time Normal opened, Mrs. Jennings had 
only four sons at home. Two older than these were 
married and one boy of seventeen would soon return 
from Iowa to attend Normal, making five boys at 
home and the other boy, aged nineteen, was attend- 
ing college in Kentucky. 

Merla Warren, up to this time, had never been 
away from home very much and was naturally timid, 
so it was quite a trial to her to attend Normal at 
first, with so many teachers, when she felt that she 
was only a raw, country schoolgirl. In the home 
schools, she was always first in her classes so she 
was not such a poor scholar, but she was always 
underestimating her ability in everything, conse- 
quently she was usually very sad and suffered many 
disappointments because she wouldn’t give herself 
any credit or have any confidence in herself. 


HER ROMANCE 


5 


After attending Normal a few days or a week, per- 
haps, she became somewhat acquainted and was a 
little friendly with one or two teachers ; but that was 
another one of her troubles. She had been taught 
from babyhood that she was ugly, and all her life 
she imagined all other people still thought she was 
and she was very slow to make friends, mostly on 
this account. 

She had for years tried to be a good girl and 
had become a Christian at sixteen and was trying 
hard to live right, but she still felt that she was 
very ugly, although no one told her that any more 
and she could see by the looking glass that there 
were others worse looking than she. 

Because of her shy, reserved nature, she was never 
popular with the boys and never had any beaux like 
other girls. She wouldn’t have anything to do with 
boys, because she had her idea that it wasn’t nice to 
act as if you liked to be in boy’s company or say 
anything to them unless they made the first ad- 
vances. And because she was always so quiet, studi- 
ous and sad looking, the boys thought she didn’t 
want to have anything to do with them, consequently 
she made very few boy friends. 

She longed for friends, though, and would have 
been very glad to be attended by a boy, sometimes to 
a party or such like, but she always had an idea that 
he had to be just so, before she would go with him. 
She wanted to keep her character so clean that some 


6 


HER ROMANCE 


day, if the right one did come along, she could be 
proud to bring to him a clean virginal character and 
a blameless life. 

So we see Merla Warren, a bright student, but in 
looks she had a dark, though clear, skin, a great deal 
of dark brown hair, black eyebrows and very ex- 
pressive brown eyes. 

John Craig had once told his sister Edith, Merla’s 
chum, that he thought Merla had the most beautiful 
eyes; this was the first awakening that Merla had, 
that there was something about her that was not 
ugly. 

These eyes were the queerest yet strongest fea- 
ture about her. They could express her thoughts 
and feelings almost as true as if she actually spoke. 
If it was not her desire, no one dared come too close 
for if they met the cold, steady gaze, from her dark- 
ened eyes, he or she would quail before them and 
be silenced at once. If she was happy, which was 
seldom, they sparkled with fun and mischief and if 
she was sad, they expressed her feelings clearly, so 
after all she was not so bad off as she thought if 
she only realized her power. 

Her other features were all more or less plain and 
when a person saw her for the first time, he was not 
usually very well impressed with her, because of her 
looks, but if he only had a chance to know her, he 
always found her interesting and soon learned that, 
in spite of that mask of a face, there was in her a 
pure, noble, lonely heart, longing for love and friend- 


HER ROMANCE 


7 


ship but if it was not freely given it was not wanted, 
as her face seemed always to indicate. 

Another peculiar thing about Merla was, that if 
she met a stranger, she either liked or didn’t like at 
once. There was no changing. 

A few days after Normal began, Merla and Edith 
went to where Fred was staying to get acquainted 
with Mrs. Jennings. Everything that Merla had 
heard about Mrs. Jennings was good, and it seemed 
as if every one liked her; and if she was as nice as 
Edith and others pictured, Merla longed to know 
her and to have her like her, but she was afraid Mrs. 
Jennings wouldn’t because she thought she was so 
plain and ugly. She didn’t think or know that a 
good Christian woman might not look at the outside 
of one, but into the heart and love what was found 
there. 

When the girls reached Mrs. Jennings’ home, 
Merla was introduced and she was treated so kindly 
that she loved Mrs. Jennings at once and felt sure 
that she was true and good. Merla was so happy 
at being treated so friendly by this lovely, auburn- 
haired lady, that she would have been glad to do 
anything for her. 

After this visit Merla went to see her several times 
and had been invited along with the Craig girls to 
spend the evening about the last of June and meet 
her son Roscoe, who was coming home for the sum- 
mer from college. This son was studying to be a 
minister. 


8 


HER ROMANCE 


When the time arrived, Merla was shy about going 
to meet this stranger because if he was studying to 
be a minister, he would be a very good young man 
and no doubt would take no notice of her at all ; she 
was so plain and had no nice clothes to wear. She 
also feared he would think she was not very good 
because she thought she wasn’t, although she tried 
to be. She did not realize that in always trying 
to be good one cannot be all bad. 

Ethel and Edith were all excitement at the thought 
of meeting him. Ethel, though three or four years 
older than Merla, thought she might impress young 
Roscoe favorably, as she was very anxious for a 
husband. No such thought ever entered Merla’s 
head in regard to him, because she imagined she was 
a mere nobody. 

Well at last they reached the Jennings’ home and 
the family were all out on the porch, as it was a 
lovely moonlit evening. Roscoe was presented to the 
girls and when he was presented to Merla, his mother 
explained that she was Fred’s sister; the boy whom 
he had already met. He shook hands with all the 
girls and seemed pleased to meet them and showed 
himself to be a true gentleman all the evening. 

Merla was so very glad that it was only in the 
moonlight that he could see her, for she thought he 
would not have been so kind if he could see too plainly 
what she looked like. She knew that she would have 
been painfully embarrassed, but as it was she could 
take part in the conversation once in awhile, without 


HER ROMANCE 


9 


very much embarrassment because she felt that they 
could not see her too plainly. 

On the way home that evening, the Craig girls 
voiced their sentiments in ecstasies of delight; how 
pleased they were with Roscoe and what a dear he 
was and how each of them was going to “set her 
cap” for him. 

Merla was almost as enthusiastic, only when they 
asked her what she thought of him, she told them 
she thought he was all right, but in her heart she 
knew that she had met her ideal, but she felt that 
it was not for her to attain, for she was so plain, 
besides poor and would not go to college as he was 
now doing and as she had always longed to do, but 
she would have to teach school if she could get a 
certificate, which she doubted. So she went home, 
feeling sad, yet painfully happy, as if something that 
she had wanted all her life had been placed before 
her, but she was not good enough to reach it and 
perhaps he would never think twice of her. 

She went back to her studies and tried to think 
no more about him and she practically succeeded in 
shutting him out of her heart and life, because she 
felt he would never take any more notice of her than 
any chance acquaintance. She saw him only a few 
more times before the Normal closed, and he was 
always very polite. 

Finally the examinations were over and she went 
to her country home near C — to await the results. 
After a wait of two weeks she received a letter in 


10 


HER ROMANCE 


which was her teacher’s certificate with good grades, 
showing that she knew a great deal more than she 
thought she did, or at least more than she gave her- 
self credit for. 

In the fall she began her first term of school, but 
she hated the work ; she would rather do almost any- 
thing else than teach but when spring came her par- 
ents told her she must teach again the next year; 
so she secured another school, then spent three 
months that summer visiting relatives and friends 
in Missouri and other places, coming back in the fall 
and teaching her second term. She liked teaching a 
little better this year, but she wanted something else. 

She longed inexpressibly for a home of her own 
with some dear one to love her, but as yet she was, 
to the world, heart whole and fancy free and at the 
close of her second year at school teaching, she was 
twenty years of age. 

Just before this term ended her parents moved to 
the eastern part of the state near E — when before 
this, they had been living in the south central part 
of the state. After her school was out, Merla went 
to E— and stayed until the first of June when she 
came back to K — to attend Normal, where she had 
attended two years before; because she was trying 
to get a first grade certificate and she was acquainted 
with the County Superintendent as he had been her 
old professor in High School. 

This time on her way out to K — after changing 
cars at W — she saw some one on the train whom 


HER ROMANCE 


11 


she thought she had seen before, but for a moment 
she did not think who ; but only for about a second 
and she recognized Roscoe Jennings. She had almost 
forgotten about him for she thought he had passed 
completely out of her life. 

She was certainly surprised to see him. He re- 
membered her and talked awhile, then he asked her 
to sit with him. She thought she would just ask how 
his mother was, for she still loved her more than ever, 
but had not seen her often, then she would go some- 
where else in the car. She didn’t want to be forward 
and not for the world would she have him think she 
was trying to make herself forward with him. So 
when he asked her to sit with him it embarrassed her 
greatly, but she didn’t want to appear rude, and be- 
sides it made her very happy to be that near him 
and to see him again so she sat with him. 

He then told her that he had not been home the 
past two years, but had gone back to college two 
years before and was only now on his way home. 
Thus they chatted until, all too soon for Merla, the 
train arrived at the station where Merla’s sister 
lived and she was to stop there a day or two before 
going on to K — . 

Roscoe took her suitcase and helped her off the 
train, getting off with her, carrying her suitcase and, 
putting it down on the walk by the depot, shook 
hands with her, raised his hat and went back on the 
train as it started on its way to his home. 

Merla certainly was happy, for no one in all the 


12 


HER ROMANCE 


world had been that polite to her and yet she never 
misunderstood his actions, for she felt sure he only 
did it because he was naturally a polite and good 
young man and treated her that way because he was 
so noble that he would do that much for any woman. 

A few days later Merla went to K — and engaged 
rooms with two other girls and the three girls bached 
and attended Normal. 

The first days of that Normal were almost the 
happiest school days that Merla had ever known be- 
cause every day for nearly a week Roscoe was at the 
Normal for part of the time each day as he was agent 
for a certain school paper. When he asked Merla 
to subscribe, she did and with the subscription there 
was a book besides the paper and, she kept that book 
ever after in memory of him. 

Every day that he came he would find time to talk 
to Merla a few moments and once he sat with her 
through chapel and during that time he asked what 
her address was and said he might send her a post 
card. After telling him what it was he copied it in 
his notebook. 

One Sunday morning while there Roscoe preached 
to the people and Merla listened to every word he 
said and watched him as if he were a saint. She 
liked to watch him when he didn’t know she was look- 
ing. 

One Wednesday evening she saw him at prayer- 
meeting and conversed with him for a few minutes. 
The last day of that school week on Friday after- 


HER ROMANCE 


13 


noon, Edith and Merla had been invited to Mrs. Jen- 
nings’ as Roscoe was to leave that night for B — , 
a place about eighty miles west of K — where he was 
to begin to preach. Both girls went, but it seemed 
that Roscoe was a little more interested in Merla 
than in Edith and she was happy to think that he did 
notice her a little. As the girls came upon the porch 
when leaving, Merla, who was a great lover of flowers 
and of roses especially, cried out with delight at the 
sight of a pink rambler rose that was in full bloom 
by the porch. Roscoe and his mother both had come 
out with them and both said, “Take all you want.” 
So Edith stepped around in front and began to pick 
a bunch and Roscoe came to Merla and said, “Which 
bunch do you want.?^” 

This surprised her but she thought that if he 
would get one for her, she would be so pleased because 
then she would have something that his dear hands 
had touched ; so she, though slightly confused, picked 
out one and he took his pocket knife and cut it off 
for her. He never offered to get any for Edith. 
They only took a very few roses, then went home 
after bidding Roscoe good-by. But later, Merla 
put her roses in her chest of treasures where she 
kept them a long, long time. 

Well, after this there was quite a little more left 
of the four weeks of Normal but during this time 
Mrs. Jennings became ill and every chance Merla 
had, she would go to see her; sometimes reading to 
her and sometimes taking her flowers. She loved 


14 ) 


HER ROMANCE 


Mrs. Jennings dearly for her own sake, but she was 
doubly dear to her because she was Roscoe’s mother 
and with him away she tried to do all she could to be 
a daughter to Mrs. Jennings, although she never 
hinted at such a thing or ever expected it to be so. 

She wanted Mrs. Jennings to love her and she en- 
joyed talking to her so much; one day when Merla 
came and leaned over the bed to fix something about 
the pillow more comfortably, Mrs. Jennings caught 
her hand and kissed it. O, how queer that made 
Merla feel ! but oh, how happy ! for now she felt that 
surely Mrs. Jennings loved her a little and Merla 
leaned over and kissed her reverently on the brow 
and felt so humble to think that Mrs. Jennings had 
kissed her hand when she had always felt that she 
was too good for her to kiss. She could have done 
almost anything for her now, and she did make her 
sickness much easier and Merla was so happy in 
doing any little thing she could to help her. 

Mrs. Jennings got well and soon after Merla went 
back to E — after getting her certificate, and in the 
fall she went back to her old home neighborhood near 
C — to teach again. During this year Merla went 
to K — several times and she was always welcomed 
with a kiss now whenever she saw Mrs. Jennings. 

Well after Merla had completed her third year of 
teaching she went back to E — to her people and 
the next fall she taught the home school in that 
county. After this term ended Ethel and Edith 
Craig came out the last of June to visit her. Merla 


HER ROMANCE 


15 


was now twenty-two years of age and a very nice 
looking girl if she only knew it. All these past two 
years she had not seen Roscoe and neither had he 
written to her as he suggested, or if he had she failed 
to receive the card. 

Edith and Ethel stayed at Merla’s home a week 
then they went home, taking Merla with them. She 
stayed at Craig’s two nights and one day and on 
the morning of the second day she was going on the 
local about noon to C — to see her old home place and 
old friends and neighbors. For some reason the 
Craig girls were too busy to go to the train with her 
and as Mr. Craig had carried her suitcase to his 
office near the depot, when he went to work, she had 
nothing to carry except her kodak and a lunch box 
which Mrs. Craig had kindly filled for her. 

Merla started out and she said she would stop a 
short time and see Mrs. Jennings as it was right on 
her way to the depot. She had heard that Roscoe 
had come home for a visit but in real justice to her 
it must be said, she really never thought of seeing 
him at home at ten o’clock in the morning ; but when 
she arrived, after being greeted by Mrs. Jennings, 
they went into the dining-room, and when she reached 
there, who should she see coming toward her, but 
Roscoe himself! He came with hand outstretched 
and a very glad look of welcome on his face and said, 
as he clasped Merla’s hand in his : “I am indeed very 
glad to see you again.” 

His hearty welcome and seeming pleasure at see- 


16 


HER ROMANCE 


ing her again surprised Merla very much, but it 
made her very happy. She spent a pleasant hour 
with Roscoe and his mother, showing them pictures 
she had taken with her kodak, telling them of her 
new home and showing pictures of her relatives. 

Pretty soon she asked Mrs. Jennings to come out 
and let her take her picture as she had always wanted 
one. After some demurring because she was just 
dressed in her house dress, Mrs. Jennings finally 
allowed Merla to take her picture. Roscoe came 
out with them and Merla wanted to ask him to step 
up beside his mother and allow her to take them 
both but modesty held her back, for she feared he 
might think her somewhat unmaidenly, so she said 
nothing about it then. 

After the picture was taken, they returned to the 
house and as Merla was preparing to go to the sta- 
tion, Roscoe said, “I believe I’ll go along. Would 
you object, Merla, if I did?” Merla was not ex- 
pecting that, but she replied that she would not ob- 
ject for indeed she knew she would enjoy it very 
much. 

While he was getting ready, Merla was called to 
the telephone and it was Edith, saying that if Merla 
would wait a few moments she would be along to go 
with her to the depot. She said she began to think 
how bad it was that none of them should see her off 
so she decided to go after all. Merla told her to 
come on but she thought to herself : “Well, I am not 
going alone anyway, if Edith didn’t come.” 


HER ROMANCE 


17 


Edith soon arrived and Roscoe shook hands with 
her too, but he did not say he was glad to see her, 
as he had told Merla. 

At last they all started down town, Roscoe on 
the outside of the walk, Merla next to him and Edith 
on the other side of her. He insisted on carrying 
both girls’ umbrellas, manifesting his politeness 
again. 

When they reached the office of Mr. Craig, Roscoe 
again took Merla’s suitcase, saying, “You should 
remember that man is a very present help in time 
of need or trouble.” Then they went to the County 
Superintendent’s office for a few minutes’ chat with 
him before train time. Merla took his picture as he 
sat in his office chair. As he was greeting Roscoe 
he asked, “Did you want something.?” Roscoe told 
him that he was only going to the train with Merla 
to see her off. 

From there the three went to the depot and learned 
that the train was an hour or more late so Roscoe 
suggested that they leave the baggage there and go 
to the park, which was only a short distance away. 
They did go and he entertained the girls nicely, but 
after giving them a ride on a small hand propelled, 
merry-go-round, Merla became somewhat dizzy and 
had to lean against a tree for a few minutes. Roscoe 
was all solicitude at once and was sorry he was the 
cause of it, but Merla assured him that she would 
be all right in a few minutes and she was. 

They played with the monkeys and Roscoe helped 


18 


HER ROMANCE 


scare them over to one side of the cage so Merla 
could get the picture of them. Then for fun or pre- 
tending it was a joke, but in her heart she really 
wanted to badly and hoped for success, she took the 
picture of Roscoe as he was leaning over the fence 
near the cage. She took it so suddenly, for fear 
her courage might fail her and that he might object 
and move, that he didn’t hardly know she took it 
until it was done and he said, “I am afraid my hat 
shaded my face.” 

By that Merla knew he would not have objected 
to her taking it but rather would have helped her get 
a good one if she had told him. She was sorry then 
she had been so hasty and would like to have taken 
it again, but she only had a few films left and she 
had promised Edith to take her picture, so she took 
it and had to save the rest of the films for relatives 
because she couldn’t get films in K — or C — and she 
had not brought many with her. 

After looking at the pigeons, birds and other 
things of interest, they went back to the depot and 
the train was almost ready to go. Edith bade Merla 
good-by at the steps of the car and left immediately, 
but Roscoe carried her suitcase on the car for her 
and as he bade her good-by, he said, ‘‘I am going to 
write you a letter this time when I get home.” 

Merla was so surprised at this that she merely 
said, “All right,” thinking that he would probably 
do as he did about the post card, two years before. 
He left her then and the train pulled out. 


HER ROMANCE 


19 


Roscoe himself was to leave for H — that same 
afternoon and from H — get on the main line to go 
back to the very southwest corner of the state of E — 
where he had been preaching now for some time. 
Merla thought it so queer that he should give his 
last half day at home to her, instead of staying at 
home with his mother. Neither could she understand 
his seemingly increased interest in her, unless he had 
become better acquainted with the kind of a girl she 
was, from his mother. 

The day they both left K — was Friday and Merla 
didn’t go back to her own home near E — until the 
next Wednesday evening. When she arrived her 
mother told her there was some mail for her in her 
room on the dresser. She went there at once and 
found a letter from Roscoe. 

Well, imagine Merla’s feelings if you can! Here 
she didn’t even believe he would write to her, and if 
he did she didn’t expect a letter that soon. She was 
pleased and very happy about it though. It seemed 
now that she surely could feel that he was interested 
in her a little. 

He asked about the pictures and hoped when she 
sent them she would not mistake his picture for the 
monkeys. 

When Merla developed them she spoiled Roscoe’s 
picture in some way so that there wasn’t even enough 
of it to tell what it was. She certainly was terribly 
disappointed about that. 

When she answered Roscoe’s letter she had only a 


20 


HER ROMANCE 


picture of his mother and the monkeys to send him. 

It was in July when the correspondence began and 
it continued through the rest of the summer and fall. 
In September Merla began teaching school again, but 
she did not dread it much this year because she had 
Roscoe’s very friendly and helpful letters to cheer 
and encourage her. She felt more like trying to be 
good and pure and more worthy of Roscoe’s pure 
friendship. 

A short time before Christmas Roscoe asked Merla 
if he could come to visit her and said he had some- 
thing very important to tell her. 

She invited him to come and she was very happy 
to think that he wanted to come and that she would 
soon see him again and this time she would feel so 
much better acquainted with him after corresponding 
with him for the past five or six months. 

Merla and her home folks made many preparations 
for his coming as her folks did not know him, except 
Fred, Merla’s brother. 

At last everything was ready for the guest and 
he was to arrive on Saturday evening. Merla met 
him at the train and they were both verj^ much 
pleased to see each other again. 

On the way home they had so much to say that 
the time passed all too quickly for them for they 
were soon home and in time for a dainty supper, 
which had been prepared for them by Merla’s mother 
and sister. 

After introductions were over, they warmed awhile 


HER ROMANCE 


21 


as it was a little chilly out of doors and they were 
soon ready to eat supper. 

After supper was over they all repaired to the 
parlor to talk and get acquainted. An hour or so 
was spent in talk and music then the family left 
Merla and Roscoe alone. 

They were now alone again but in a warm and 
comfortable room. For awhile Merla showed him 
pictures and they talked on various subjects. 

Soon Roscoe, who was sitting in a chair near 
Merla, leaned toward her and said, “Do you remem- 
ber I wrote you I had something to tell you.^ Aren’t 
you anxious to know what it is.?” 

Merla replied, “I remember you told me you had, 
but I was waiting until you were ready to tell me.” 

He said, “Merla, it is this, that I love you, darling, 
very much and have to come to see you to find out 
from your own lips if you love me. I began to love 
you several years ago ; as I became better acquainted 
with you and found that beneath your shy, reserved 
nature, you were good and true and since then I 
have found it to be true more and more until I knew 
I loved you, dearly, and wanted you for my wife. 
Dearest, do you love me and will you be my own, dear 
wife.?” 

Merla was too overcome to speak at first. Finally, 
all she could say was, “Roscoe, I didn’t know you 
could care for me that way. I do love you and have 
loved you for years, but I am not worthy to become 
a minister’s wife.” 


22 


HER ROMANCE 


At this Roscoe gathered her in his arms and 
stopped any more words with kisses. He kissed her 
crimson lips and cheeks and her eyes and hair and 
called her his own darling, then told her that she 
was everything any minister would ask for. After 
much explanation and telling each other when they 
first began to love the other, Merla promised to be- 
come his wife, and a happier, more thankful girl 
could not be found. She thanked God in her heart 
for His goodness, in at last blessing her life with 
such a true, noble love as Roscoe Jennings’. 

Roscoe then took a small package from his pocket, 
in which was a beautiful diamond ring. He said, 
“See, dearest, I came prepared for I hoped you 
would consent, but I was not sure, and if you had 
not, I would always have kept the ring in memory 
of you. I liked your letters so well, for they sounded 
so sweet, soothing and companionable that I had 
some hope that you did care for me. I thought you 
could not have written so interestedly as you did 
about my work if you had not cared for me a little.” 

He now placed the beautiful sparkling gem upon 
her finger and they both sealed the betrothal with a 
kiss; one which expressed the deep, pure love they 
had for each other. 

They decided to name the wedding day the first 
day of May, after Merla’s school was out. 

Merla at last was beloved as she had always hoped 
to be, but she had the love of one so much better and 
nobler than she ever supposed was in store for her, 


HER ROMANCE 


23 


that she could not help but be so glad. She certainly 
slept sweetly and peacefully that night. 

The next day, being Sunday, they all went to 
Sunday School and church. When the regular min- 
ister heard that Roscoe was a minister also, he in- 
vited him to speak to them that evening, which he 
consented to do. 

Merla had invited a few young folks home to din- 
ner with her and the girls, of course, noticed her 
new ring and congratulated her accordingly; say- 
ing that her eyes sparkled almost as brightly and 
that they had never seen her so happy before. She 
told them that she never had been so happy before 
either. 

The day was spent pleasantly and a short time 
before church Roscoe and Merla had a few moments 
alone, which they used in getting ready for the eve- 
ning’s sermon, Merla helping. 

That evening when Roscoe left Merla to go to 
the front to preach before her own people, she felt 
as if her cup of happiness was full and running over. 
She was so proud of him who looked so noble, true, 
beautiful and good and who spoke so grandly and elo- 
quently to the audience. He made quite an impres- 
sion on all for after it was over so many seemed 
anxious to meet him. 

The next evening being Christmas Eve, they went 
to the Christmas exercises at the church. Merla re- 
ceived a most beautiful present from Roscoe. She 
gave him a beautiful one also, but it was quite mod- 


24 


HER ROMANCE 


est because she did not expect to be engaged to him 
when she bought it. 

On Christmas day there was a family gathering of 
Merla’s relatives, some of whom lived quite a distance 
away. A jolly time was spent that day, and also in 
getting acquainted with Roscoe, who was soon to be 
one of them. 

The day after Christmas he departed, because he 
had to visit his people yet and he only intended being 
away a week. 

Merla and Roscoe were sad to part with each other 
but happy in the thought that they now belonged 
to each other almost and it would be only a few 
short months when they would be together for all 
time. 

The time did pass rapidly, under the circumstances 
for Merla who had to finish teaching her school, be- 
sides all her spare moments being used in preparing 
for her wedding and her future home to which she 
was looking forward with the greatest expectation 
and pleasure. 

For Roscoe, the time did not go quite so rapidly 
for he had more time to think how badly he wanted 
Merla and how he needed her to help and cheer him. 
But he busied himself with his work and prepared a 
home for his bride, and soon the first of May came. 

Roscoe had arrived at Merla’s home the day be- 
fore. The wedding day dawned clear and bright and 
a happier couple would have been hard to find, than 


HER ROMANCE 


25 


these two who were joined together that day. It 
seemed to Merla that everything was bright and 
beautiful and as she looked up into her husband’s 
noble face she felt that at last she had found a beau- 
tiful haven of rest in his love and protection which 
she knew would be hers. 

The day ended peacefully and bright, which seemed 
to be a good indication of what the life of these two 
happy young people would be. 

After staying just one more day at Merla’s home 
to get her things packed, they left for K — to be 
greeted, welcomed and loved by Roscoe’s parents, 
who were anxious to see their new daughter-in-law 
but whom they already loved as a daughter. 

The one disagreeable thing on Merla’s return to 
K — was to see the envious looks of the Craig girls, 
who had not won Roscoe, but Merla, one whom they 
never thought of as having the least show against 
them, had won him. But Merla was so happy and 
forgiving that she did not mind that, for she knew 
her husband’s love was for her only. 

They remained here a few days, then went to E — 
where Roscoe’s work still went on and where Merla’s 
new home was to be. 

She found the home to be everything her heart de- 
sired and before long they were happily settled and 
where to-day they may be found, doing good work 
among the people ; Merla as well loved by them as her 
noble husband, whom she always tries to help in 


26 


HER ROMANCE 


every way possible. He is just as proud of her as 
she of him and says he don’t see how he ever did 
without her as long as he did. 

Thus we shall leave them, happily busy and truly 
loving one another. 


THE VALUE OF A TRAINED MIND 


The value of a trained mind! The first ques- 
tion to be considered is: What is mind? Imme- 
diately we think that the brain is the mind, but is 
it? No! The brain is not really the mind; it is 
only a sort of a machine through which the mind 
acts. 

This mind is not something that can be seen or 
felt or weighed. It is a mysterious something — a 
sort of a spiritual thing through which the mind 
acts and which has made man the master of his 
environment and given him the magnificent sum to- 
tal of human culture and attainment. 

The mind and brain, it is true, are always spoken 
of inter-changeably, but the reason of this is that 
they are so vitally related and so inseparably con- 
nected in their work. We never know one except 
in connection with the other and we never know 
any other mind but our own. You and I may look 
into each other’s face and there be able to read 
some of the mind’s activity, but neither can discover 
the real you of the other. We may work together, 
live together, come to love or hate each other even, 
yet our inmost selves forever stand apart. 

27 


28 THE VALUE OF A TRAINED MIND 


If I consider how you must think or feel or 
act under certain circumstances, I am really but 
interpreting my own thoughts, feelings and actions 
under similar circumstances and attributing them to 
you. Thus in a small way you see what a wonder- 
ful thing is mind. 

But yet, if there is a mind and a brain, of what 
use are they to an individual without proper train- 
ing If they are not properly trained we are al- 
most entirely powerless. A quotation from Joseph 
Addison will help to illustrate: “What sculpture 
is to a block of marble, education is to a human 
being.” Only a few words, yet if we understand 
the full import of them, how much do they contain I 

But what is it that must be considered in this 
training process Coming down to every day af- 
fairs, one of the most vital points to be considered 
is the influences which surround the child, for the 
nerves are so very sensitive, they being the means 
of carrying the different stimuli to the brain, that 
it is very necessary that the influences be of the 
most uplifting and ennobling kind ; first the influences 
at home and later at school. Studying the state 
textbooks in the grades and later the High School 
and College, perhaps, and still other higher insti- 
tutions of learning are very necessary and important 
in the training of the mind. 

The study of the books alone in the grades is 
very important, as this forms the foundation upon 
which we may place more knowledge ; yet the knowl- 


THE VALUE OF A TRAINED MIND 29 


edge gained from such books, forms only a small 
part in the training of the mind, for there are many 
other things to be considered. 

One very great thing is the manner or kind of 
associates the child has. This may seem a small 
matter when lightly considered, but it is very vital. 
Of course there cannot be found such an ideal place 
for every child, but that is not the end in view; 
it should be that the child is so well taught or has 
his wiVL and impulses so under control, that he may 
be able to resist temptations then and this, so firmly 
fixed, that he may be safe later in life. 

Day by day, as the child attends school, he 
should be helped in every way toward the right and 
his mind nourished upon things that are high and 
uplifting and upon deeds that are noble and in- 
spiring and not upon sentimental things or anything 
else that would cause a degeneracy in the develop- 
ment or morals, for: ‘‘Slowly, day by day, from 
the cradle to the grave, we are weaving into our 
lives the threads of sentiment which at last become 
so many cables to bind us to good or evil.” 

Hence, the importance that the sentiments en- 
couraged be those that will uplift, ennoble and in- 
spire. Then after graduation from the grades, is 
the High School. At this time or at the end of 
the education in the grades, the mind is still in a 
ver}^ formative condition and it should be formed 
and made stronger by a High School education. 

But as I have said before, the study of books is 


30 THE VALUE OF A TRAINED MIND 


not all that constitutes education. No ; for what 
use will we make, later in life, of the propositions 
of geometry, the declensions or conjugations of 
Latin? Not very much unless we desire to become 
a teacher of them. Now you will think I am con- 
tradicting my former statement, or you will say, 
what is the use then of a High School education? 
But that is not my desire. 

The use of studying geometry, Latin and others, 
is the great good they do in making the mind 
stronger, better developed and, in every way, bet- 
ter able to deal with the problems of life, for after 
such an education one is better able to think, judge 
and decide more easily upon important matters and 
the daily problems may be more coolly met and 
worked out than before. 

Then there are so many other things which must 
be considered along with the studying and other 
training process and another thing ; “Learning 
without thought,” says Confucius, “is labor lost,” 
and when one is trying to receive an education he 
should be made to see the importance of it in order 
to secure the best results and gain the most benefit 
from it. And there should always be a very high 
ideal kept in view by every young person, or they 
should have a desire to reach the highest goal, for: 
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken 
at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the 
voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in 
miseries.” 


THE VALUE OF A TRAINED MIND 31 


That is, when there is an inclination to go on 
higher and if there is something that will con- 
tinually urge them on, they will succeed and con- 
tinue to rise, but if there is not, they will settle 
down into an equilibrium and be content to live upon 
that which they had learned when their interest was 
fresh, or remain forever in the shallows. 

But if we go on with our education, our minds 
will become still better trained until, as I have said 
before, we shall be able to do those things which, if 
we had not obtained such an education, we would 
almost have to be a parasite, depending upon the 
strength and knowledge of others to get along in 
the world. 

Therefore, I say, secure as good an education 
along all lines possible and a good moral and spirit- 
ual training, for it is a duty, a religious duty, to 
develop these minds, given to us by an Almighty 
Power, to their utmost ability or at least all that 
is in our power to do, for we shall be called to ac- 
count for our having improved them or not as we 
should, as the case may be. 

Then procure as great a knowledge and as good 
a training as possible and become a power in the 
world, and make the world better for your having 
lived in it, because of having a trained mind, for^ 
“Knowledge is Power.” 




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